U. S. Pat. No. 4,895,164; 4,911,559 (RE. 34,599); 5,018,872; and 5,411,032 all disclosed a disposable probe cover for use in covering and protecting the probe of a medical infrared thermometer. However, the disposal of the probe cover may waste money and cause a problem of waste disposal. In a family use, the electronic thermometer may be repeatedly used by the same people in the family. After finishing each temperature measurement, the protective probe cover would be disposed and replaced with a complete new cover, increasing family expense and causing a waste disposal problem.
Meanwhile, once the protective probe cover is removed from the conventional thermometers, the radiation guide tube of the probe will be exposed to environmental dust pollution, causing contamination of the probe and possibly influencing the measurement precision of the thermometer.
The present inventor has recognized the drawbacks of the conventional probe assembly of an electronic thermometer, and invented a hygienic protecting device for the electronic thermometer.